People, Places and Things: Paul Messink

People are typically left-brained or right brained: logical and sequential or creative and imaginative. Downers Grove resident Paul Messink is distinctively both. 

A computer engineer for McDonald’s Corporation by day, Messink is a talented artist by night. 

“During the day I’m analytical and detail-oriented,” Messink said. “I’m a project manager, very attuned to detail. When I do art, I’m very creative, very right brained. My brain switches into a different mode when I’m being creative.”

This weekend Messink will show his beautiful and original fused glass pieces at the Downers Grove Fine Art Festival, September 10 and 11 in downtown Downers Grove. 

Messink said he has always pursued creative outlets.

“I’ve been a church organist. I’ve done water colors and drawings. I’ve always done something with my creative side but it’s always been casual, a hobby,” he said. 

In 2003, Messink’s partner sent him to an art glass class as a birthday gift and he was hooked.  Messink went on to learn a variety of art glass techniques including lamp work, glass glowing and fused glass.

“My plan was to continue on into glass casting, which, in my mind, would be the last in the four main types of glass,” he said. “I enjoyed fusing so much and kept doing it and to be honest, I still haven’t taken a casting class. I enjoyed the fusing and it fit my interest and temperament.”

Fused glass, he said, consists of taking sheets of glass that are cut into patterns while they’re cold. The pieces are reassembled while still cold, in a kiln.  The kiln is heated to 1400 degrees, melting or fusing the glass into a solid piece.  

Messink has gradually developed his own technique for fused glass art.

“I’ve made a deliberate attempt to create my own voice rather than imitate other artists,” he said. 

While many fused glass artists create jewelry, plates and bowls, Messink creates thick blocks of glass with painted designs that fuse with the glass.   

“I paint a part of an image on multiple layers of glass and then stack all of them and fuse them into a solid piece,” he said. “I don’t think there’s other artwork like mine. The comment I get most often when I show my work is that people have never seen anything like it before.”

Messink explores different subject matter but particularly likes landscapes.

“I have always had an affinity for nature and painting and drawing and I’ve always liked landscapes. Plus I like how in the outdoors, you see things that recede into the distance,” he said. “For instance, one of my pieces is of telephone poles on a road. As they recede, they get smaller and smaller. I like recreating the effect that you see outdoors, in the glass.”

Messink said he also creates abstract glass wall pieces “that seem to be very popular,” he said.  He’s limited in size to two three-by-three feet pieces because of the size of his kiln.  “But for larger wall pieces, I’ll make several pieces and attach them independently to the wall.  I’ve done as many as four pieces.  The size is really unlimited.”

Messink said that he spends about 20 hours per week on his art and participates in a gradually growing number of art shows each year.

“Last year I did three, this year I’m doing four. I increase the number of shows each year by one,” he said.  In addition to selling his work at art shows, Messink also accepts commissioned work. Messink’s studio, which consists of a kiln and equipment to cut and polish glass, is in his garage at home. 

Messink said while he enjoys many forms of art in general, he is particularly drawn to working with glass.

“I like that it behaves differently when it’s cold than when it’s hot. It has different characteristics. And I like the optical effect. That it starts out as clear and there’s interplay with light and shadow and I find that very interesting. That’s definitely my right-brain,” he said.

Messink will be at the Downers Grove Art Festival in Booth 27 on Saturday, September 10 and Sunday, September 11. On Saturday, he will host a Booth Chat at 1 p.m. During the Booth Chat, Messink will show his work and describe his technique.  For additional information visit www.turtlebayglass.com